7 Ways Destiny 2 Tries to Improve Upon Destiny

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New Villains, 4K Visuals, and a Profusion of Fresh Features

By IGN STUDIOS

Partner Content by Nvidia

Destiny sold over five million copies worldwide. So how does developer Bungie create a worthy follow-up to its sci-fi shooter franchise? Destiny 2 aims to provide a deeper narrative experience, fresh ways to frag your friends, and a progression path that doesn't punish solo players. Here are seven ways Destiny 2 is trying to improve upon its predecessor.

A note: The sequel’s sci-fi visuals can also be enjoyed in jaw-dropping 4K HDR if your hardware meets the requirements. For a limited time, when you buy an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, system, or laptop, you’ll get Destiny 2 when it launches on PC.

While the original Destiny drew acclaim for it's multiplayer experience, players who want a more robust solo experience are in luck. On top of attempting to create a more cinematic experience-- complete with cutscenes, a character-driven story, and better pacing-- the sequel promises a much lengthier campaign with more narrative-focused missions.

Brand new baddie

Much of the fuel powering this story-driven focus comes from a mysterious new menace named Commander Ghaul. As the leader of a fresh Cabal threat called the Red Legion, Ghaul kicks off Destiny 2's story by reducing "Earth's Last Safe City" to ashes. Toppling the Guardians' iconic Tower is only the beginning though, as Ghaul's ultimate goal is to steal the all-powerful Light granted by the Traveler.

Superior supers

Destiny 2 is hitting the reset button, stripping its brave Guardians of everything they hold sacred, from their peaceful home to their Cabal-crushing powers. It's not all doom and gloom, however, as the sequel's also introducing supers that would make any Guardian proud. The game's new subclasses—Dawnblade, Arcstrider, and Sentinel (which fall under the Warlock, Hunter, and Titan classes)—sport new powers, fire-spewing swords, and lightning-spitting staffs.

Combat evolved

Cool hand-cannons are still key to success, but the sequel's altering its predecessor's weapon management system to cater to more playstyles and preferences. Primary, secondary, and heavy classifications are shelved in favor of kinetic, energy, and power categories. On top of offering more flexibility and freedom, these groups add new death-dealers, like enemy-eviscerating grenade launchers. New class-specific abilities, such as skills that heal or increase damage, further complement the combat.

Squad goals

Destiny 2's offering more ways to compete and cooperate with fellow Guardians. The game will launch with a new Strike, dubbed “Inverted Spire”, as well as the franchise's fifth Raid. Details on the latter are locked down tight, but Bungie's been teasing that it's "unlike anything we've done." For those who'd rather shoot their friends, the Crucible will introduce Countdown, a new mode that tasks teams with detonating a bomb in their opponent’s base.

Fun for all

Destiny 2 will fully embrace clans with in-game rosters, customizable banners, and a rewards-based progression system specifically geared toward these dedicated teams of hardcore players. Solo fans will also benefit from this clan support, as a new Guided Games matchmaking feature will allow less seasoned Guardians to group with more experienced players for high-level co-op content. Clans who lack a teammate will find relief too, by having these single players temporarily fill out their fireteams.

A whole new world

New enemies, like the cleaver-wielding Gladiators, four fresh locations—Io, Titan, Nessus, and Earth's European Dead Zone—and play-extending activities, from treasure hunts and explorable Lost Sectors to objective-driven quests.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to get Activision and Bungie’s shooter on PC with the new GeForce GTX Destiny 2 bundle. Buying the bundle also gets you three great pre-order incentives available when the game hits PC on October 24: the Coldheart Exotic Rifle, the Kill Tracker Ghost, and the Salute emote.